SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Eight men were arrested after the United States Coast Guard seized 330 pounds of cocaine on Aug. 16 near Isabela, Puerto Rico, according to a news release.
The cocaine, which is estimated to be worth around $3.1 million dollars, was captured when an aircrew detected a suspicious 25-foot boat.
During the interdiction, the men, who claim to be Dominican Republican nations, threw the suspected contraband overboard and into the water, authorities wrote.
"The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle stopped the suspect vessel, apprehended eight men and recovered five bales of the jettisoned cargo," the news release stated.
Special Agents supporting the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force are leading the investigation into this case. The arrested men now face federal prosecution in Puerto Rico on drug smuggling criminal charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
The charges carry a minimum prison sentence of ten years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“This interdiction is an example of how successful interagency cooperation can be through the use of our collective resources,” said Lt. Cmdr. Charles Wilson, cutter Joseph Doyle commanding officer. “Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Caribbean Air Marine Branch (CAMB) and the Coast Guard worked seamlessly to detect and interdict this suspected narcotics trafficking operation before it reached the shores of Puerto Rico.”
